A NEW, quieter state of the art police
helicopter capable of Harrier Jump-Jet-style vertical takeoff is due to be unveiled
tomorrow.
And on-board up-to-the-minute tracking systems means there will be no hiding place for criminals.
The MD 902 Explorer, the most advanced police aircraft in the country, is fitted with a space age navigation system and a high powered camera.
It is also capable of carrying more people than its 11-year-old predecessor.
And its capability of vertical takeoff and landing - makes it more practical in built-up areas.
The on-board camera, capable of 54 times magnification, together with an on-board digital recorder, means officers will be able to
produce high quality pictures enabling them to identify faces in crowds.
And the hi-tech navigation system means it will be able to pinpoint a specific house in the middle of a crowded estate.
Because it has no tail rotor, the helicopter will be up to 50 per cent quieter than its predecessor.
It is also the first aircraft in the world to have Pratt and Whitney 207E engines - making it 11 per cent more powerful than
previous models.
The MD 902 Explorer, which will replace West Yorkshire's 11 year old Messerchmitt Bolkow Brohm, will be unveiled tomorrow at the operations support unit at Carr Gate, Wakefield.
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